Shuttle for narrow ware looms



May 24, 1949.

Filed June 11, 1947` May 24, 1949. F. A. HARDICK 2,470,981

SHUTTEE FOR NARROW WARE LOOMS Filed June 11, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4 FIG. 5

2 I N VEN TOR.

Frederik A. Hardick,

lAttorney Patented May 24,y 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 11, 1947, Serial No. 754,000 In the NetherlandsFebi-uary 26, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires February 26, 1966 6 Claims.

The invention relates to a shuttle for a ribbon loom or a similar loom with positive drive of the weft, which shuttle is provided in its front portion which extends beyond the slay, with a semi-circular opening for receiving the thread bobbin.

The invention has for its purpose the construction of a shuttle of this kind which, when the weft thread is used up or broken, will allow of a speedy exchange of the bobbin -contained in the shuttle for a new one, in such a way that this exchange of bobbins may preferably take place entirely automatically. Needless to say, the possibility of such a speedy, preferably automatical, exchange of bobbins is of the highest importance considering that on the average with the known ribbon looms 20% of the effective Working time is spent for the necesary exchange of bobbins.

According to the invention there are provided in the semi-circular opening in the front Aportion of the shuttle resilient bearings for the thread bobbin, in such a way that a thread bobbin when moved in the direction of the axis of the continuous opening is urged into the said bearings, whereas with a continued movement in the said direction the bobbin will be expelled, from the same, while there is provided in the front wall of the shuttle -a guiding opening for the thread of the thread bobbin, which opening is provided in the direction of the insertion of the thread bobbin with an entrance that is preferably adapted to be closed. A fresh thread bobbin therefore may be quickly inserted While expelling the spent one from th-e semi-circular opening, While at the same time the thread from the fresh bobbin will enter quickly into the guide opening in the shuttle through the said entrance.

A simple and speedy exchange of bobbins of this nature will also be possible in the case of a shuttle in which the unwinding of the thread from the bobbin, as is usually th-e case with shuttles for ribbon looms, is controlled by a spring, With the known shuttles for ribbon looms the said spring control is generally exerted by the so-called Swiss spirals, i. e. tension springs made of brass wire which are located in the side portions of the shuttl-e and are provided at their free ends with' an eye through which the thread of the thread bobbin is passed. According to the invention the thread of the bobbin is guided to the guide opening in the front Wall of the shuttle by means of a spring controlled thread guide which is movable either above or below the semicircular opening in the shuttle, and is providedwith a hook or a similar guide member that is open on one side; the said thread guide for the 55` be described any further.

` purpose of exchanging the thread bobbin for 1:0, open on one side that is provided on the said thread guide.

The resilient thread guide replaces the Swiss spirals of the known shuttles and executes the same function, since with the increasing tension l5 of the thread, the thread guide will give while tensioning its spring, whereas with decreasing tension of the thread, the thread is drawn back by the thread guide under the influence of the relaxing spring. The said thread guide, how- 20 ever, permits of an automatic opening and clos ing at the right moment of the entrance into the thread guide opening provided in the front wall of the shuttle. For this purpose according to the invention the front portion of the shuttl-e 35 consists in a bow-shaped member constructed as a trough or gutter into which the hook of the thread guide may reach, while there are provided in a given place in the walls of the said' gutter two corresponding slot-shaped thread 20 guiding openings each having an open entrance along the upper edges of the gutter walls, while' a spring controlled slide valve cooperating with the thread guide is displaceably located in the' gutter-shaped bow member, in such a way that in the active position of the thread guide the.

said slide valve under the action of its spring will keep the entrances into the slot-shaped guiding. openings in the gutter-walls closed, whereas in the position for the exchange of the bobbins the Q thread guide will shift the said slide valve against the action of its spring in such a way that the said entrances will be opened.

According to the invention the thread guiding member will preferably execute a rotary move- 5`,ment, for which purpose the gutter-shaped bow 'member viewed from above has the form of an arc of a circle the center of which is the pivoting point of the thread guide.

The shuttle according to the invention is very 50v suitable for eii'ecting the exchange of the bobbin entirely automatically, preferably by means of electricity. The exchange of the bobbins in itself,

however, does not constitute the subject matter' of the present application and will therefore not If, however, the shuttle according to the invention is used with an automatic bobbin exchanging device of the said kind, then the shuttle according to the invention will be provided with an electrical .contacting device that will become active when the thread on the bobbin gives out or is broken, whereupon the thread guide is brought into the bobbin exchanging position by means of an actuating device provided for this purpose. The electrical contact may be brought about in different manne-rs: i. e. in the case of breakage of the thread by the fact that the metal thread guide under the action of its spring establishes a contact with the metal end wall of the gutter-shaped bow member, and in Case of the spool running out then by means of a metal feeler located contiguously to the thread on the bobbin, which feeler will nally contact with the metal sleeve of the said thread bobbin.

In order to be sure of an adequate supply of thread under a practically constant tension, there may be provided a gearing device for the thread bobbin that is inuenced by the tension of the thread in such a way, that it will allow the said bobbin to rotate freely when the thread tension is increasing, whereas the rotation is prevented when the tension of the thread is decreasing. When using the above mentioned thread guide, the thread bobbin, according to the invention may `be provided with a ratchet Wheel cooperating with a pawl that is iniiuenced bythe movements of the thread guide, in such a Way that with an increasing tension of the thread (consequently with the movement of the thread guide against the action of the spring), the pawl is lifted out of the ratchet wheel, so that the thread bobbin will be allowed to rotate freely, whereas with a decreasing tension of the thread (consequently with the movement of the thread guide in the direction of the action oi the spring) the pawl will drop into the ratchet wheel once more, so that the rotation of the thread bobbin will be prevented.

Further characteristics of the invention will be explained in the description given below with the aid of the drawing in which an embodiment of a shuttle of an arcuate shape according to the invention is'represented.

Inthe said drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of the shuttle in the normal orv activeY position oi the thread guide in which the thread bobbin is allowed to rotate freely,

, Fig. 2 is a front view according to the arrow II in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the thread guide in the position it takes when the thread bobbin is prevented from rotating,

Fig. 4 is a plan View with the thread guide in the position of thread breakage,

Fig. 5 is a side View according to the arrow V in Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a plan View with the thread guide in the bobbin exchanging position,

Fig. 7 is a front view according to the arrow VII in Fig. 6.

The shuttle consists of a rear piece or body I, 2 made of wood or some other material that will not `conduct electricity of which body the part I is guided in grooves of the slay, while the part 2 is located in front of the slay. An arcuate member made of metal is secured to the part 2, which member has the formof an approximately semicircular trough or gutter open at the top. This gutter-shaped bow 3 provides a semi-circular opening A in the shuttle that is intended to receive the thread bobbin. In the said space A there are provided on the bow 3 two resilient clamping straps 4 (only represented in Fig. 1) between which the thread bobbin 5 is clamped by means of a spindle 6 denoted by a dotand dash line. The clamping straps 4 are open at the top and at the bottom and will hold the spindle 5 in such a way that the bobbin 5 can be pressed into and out of the said clamping straps i in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing.

The thread of the bobbin 5 is wound on a metal sleeve lI which is freely rotatable about the spindie t. Near the one end of the said sleeve 'I there is provided a ratchet wheel 8 (see also Fis. 5) with which a pawl 9 is adapted to co-operate. Ii the said pawl 9 engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 8, the thread bobbin 5 will be prevented from rotation.

A metal cylinder Ii] is rotatably mountedl in the non-conducting part 2 of the body of the shuttle. The pivoting point of the cylinder coincides with the center of the arcuate member E. A metal thread' guide Il is rigidly connected with the cylinder lil which thread guide by means of its hook extends into the trough-shaped arcuate member 3l (see also Fig. 5) but which normally does not establish any `Contact with the metal parts of the said bow strap.

On the cylinder I there are also provided two projections l2 (see Fig. 1) and I3 (see Fig. 6) which are adapted to cooperate with the pawl 3 in order to lift the said paw] out of the ratchet wheel 8. An arm Ila is also secured to the cylinder l@ to which arm there is attached a tension spring Id urging the cylinder Ill and with it the thread guide I I to rotate in a clockwise direction. A metal feeler I5 (see Fig. 5) resiliently adjoins the thread bobbin 5 which feeler is intended to contact with the metal sleeve 'l when the bobbin is run out. The thread coming from the bobbin is represented by the line IG and runs ori in the direction of the arrow.

In each of the two concentric walls of the gutter-shaped bow 3 there are provided slotshaped openings il (ses Figs. 2 and 7) which are accessible from above at the point 51a (Fig. 7), the said entrances I'Ia being, however, adapted to be closed by means of a trough-shaped slide valve I8 having a similar cross-sectional shape to bow 3 and being slidably contained therein which slide valve is controlled by a spring Illa (see Fig. 6).

The metal parts of the shuttle with its contents may be divided into two groups electrically insulated with regard to each other, to wit:

(a) a group comprising the cylinder IE), the thread guide Il, the spring I4 and the eeler I5,

(b) a group comprising the bow-shaped member 3 with the slide Valve I8, the clamping straps 4, the spindle 6 and the sleeve 1.

Group a is conductively connected with a copper strip 20, and group b with a copper strip I9 provided on the body of the shuttle (see Fig. 5) which strips are continuously in contact with brushes provided in the slay which brushes are connected with the poles of an electrical pov/'er source.

The shuttle is operated as follows:

According to Fig. 1 the thread I6 is drawn oi by the weaving process in the direction of the arrow. The paWl 9 made of insulating material is lifted out of the ratchet wheel by means of the projection l2, so that the thread bobbin 5 is able to rotate freely and the thread will run off the said bobbin. Under the action of the spring I4 the thread guide is now turned into the position according to Fig. 3 in which the projection I2 will no long-er lift up the pawl 9, so that the said pawl will drop into the ratchet wheel 3, thus preventing rotation of the thread bobbin. The tension of the thread will now be increased again, the thread guide II is moved o-nce more into the position according to Fig. 1, etc. The thread bobbin therefore is made to rotate each time during a short period and then stopped again. This has the advantage that the thread supply will be adequate all the time under a practically constant tension. The said tension may be regulated, if desired, by shortening or lengthening the spring I4.

In case of breakage of the thread the thread guide Ii is moved by the spring I4 into the position according to Fig. in which position the hook of the thread guide will establish contact with the end wall of the gutter-shaped arcuate member 3 and there will be formed an electrical connection between the groups a and b, and consequently also between the strips 20 and I 9. |The circuit will then be closed, whereby an automatic bobbin exchanging device, which does not form the subject of the present application, is actuated.

The exchange of the bobbins is, however, only possible, if the entrances I'Ia into the slot-shaped openings I1 for the insertion of the thread of the fresh bobbin have been opened. This is effected by bringing a small block ZI or a similar device into the position represented in Fig. 6 after the circuit has been closed, whereby the thread guide I I is turned back against the action of the spring I4 until it butts against the end wall of the slide valve I8, pushing the said slide valve along, whereby the spring Ita will be tensioned. At the same time the pawl 9 is lifted out of the ratchet wheel 8 by the projection I on the cylinder I0. The fresh thread bobbin can now be inserted -between the clamping straps 4 while expelling the spent bobbin, the tensioned thread I6 of the fresh bobbin entering into the slot-Shaped opening I1 through the entrances I'la.

If the thread bobbin is nearly empty the resilient feeler I5 will establish a contact with the bobbin sleeve 1, whereby the electric circuit will be closed and the same things will happen as in the case of breakage of the thread.

Iclaim:

1. A shuttle for a ribbon loom or the like having a positive weft drive comprising a body member, a semi-circular bow secured to said body member forming a semi-circular bobbin receiving opening, said bow being trough shaped in crosssection, resilient bearing members in said opening, a bobbin releasably secured in said bearing members, said trough-shaped bow having a thread guide opening in each side wall thereof, an entrance in the side walls of said bow connecting with said openings in the side walls for insertion of thread from said bobbin and means for closing said entrances.

2. A shuttle as claimed in claim l, a rotatable shaft mounted in said body member at the center point of said semi-circular bow, a thread guide member secured to said shaft, said guide member having a hook shaped thread engaging end, said hook shaped end extending into said troughshaped bow and being movable therein, a spring connected to said shaft for normally biasing said hook shaped end of said guide member against an end wall of said trough-shaped bow and permitting displacement thereof to an opposite end wall of said trough-shaped bow for substantially clearing said semi-circular bobbin opening for permitting insertion of said bobbin therein and thread in said guide openings.

3. A shuttle as claimed in claim 2, said guide openings being elongated slots, said means for closing said entrances comprising an arcuate member of trough-shaped cross-section slidably mounted in said trough-shaped bow, said arcuate member being of slightly smaller dimensions than said trough-shaped bow and of similar shape, a spring connected to an end of said arcuate membei' and to said trough-shaped bow, said arc-uate member having slotted openings in an end thereof for coacting with said elongated slots, said spring normally biassing said arcuate member toward said guide openings, portions of said arcuate member closing said entrances to said guide openings in the biassed position, said arcuate member being displaceable by said hook shaped end of said guide member into a bobbin changing position and for opening said entrances for insertion of thread from said bobbin.

4. In a shuttle as claimed in claim 3, an electrical contacting device on said shuttle, said contacting device being actuated upon thread from said bobbin being exhausted or broken, and means actuable by said contacting device for moving said thread guide whereby said thread guide is moved to bobbin exchanging position.

5. In a shuttle as claimed in claim 1, a rotatable shaft mounted in said body member at the center point of said semi-circular bow, a thread guide member secured to said shaft, said guide member having a hook shaped thread engaging end, said hook shaped end extending into said trough-shaped bow and being movable therein, a spring connected to said shaft for normally bias- E sing said hook shaped end of said guide member against an end wall of said trough-shaped bow and permitting displacement thereof to an opposite end wall of said trough-shaped bow for substantially clearing said semi-circular bobbin opening for permitting insertion of said bobbin therein and thread in said guide openings, a gearing device operatively connected to said bobbin, said device being operatively connected to said rotatable shaft, said device `being so influenced `by tension of the thread in said thread guide member that said bobbin will rotate freely when thread tension increases and said bobbin will be prevented from rotation when thread tension decreases.

6. In a shuttle as claimed in claim 5, said gearing device comprising a ratchet wheel secured t0 said bobbin and a pawl operable by said rotatable shaft, said pawl being operable into and out of engagement with said ratchet wheel by said rotatable shaft.

FREDERH A. HARDICK.

REFERENCES CITED IThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 838,123 Lemyre Dec. 11, 1906 1,891,572 Ott Dec. 20, 1932 1,979,766 Payne Nov. 6, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 510,536 France Sept. 8, 1920 

